Operations Research and Management Science Handbook

Operations Research (OR) began as an interdisciplinary activity to solve complex military problems during World War II. Utilizing principles from mathematics, engineering, business, computer science, economics, and statistics, OR has developed into a full fledged academic discipline with practical application in business, industry, government and military. Currently regarded as a body of established mathematical models and methods essential to solving complicated management issues, OR provides quantitative analysis of problems from which managers can make objective decisions. Operations Research and Management Science (OR/MS) methodologies continue to flourish in numerous decision making fields. Featuring a mix of international authors, Operations Research and Management Science Handbook combines OR/MS models, methods, and applications into one comprehensive, yet concise volume. The first resource to reach for when confronting OR/MS difficulties, this text Provides a single source guide in OR/MS Bridges theory and practice Covers all topics relevant to OR/MS Offers a quick reference guide for students, researchers and practitioners Contains unified and up-to-date coverage designed and edited with non-experts in mind Discusses software availability for all OR/MS techniques Includes contributions from a mix of domestic and international experts The 26 chapters in the handbook are divided into two parts. Part I contains 14 chapters that cover the fundamental OR/MS models and methods. Each chapter gives an overview of a particular OR/MS model, its solution methods and illustrates successful applications. Part II of the handbook contains 11 chapters discussing the OR/MS applications in specific areas. They include airlines, e-commerce, energy systems, finance, military, production systems, project management, quality control, reliability, supply chain management and water resources. Part II ends with a chapter on the future of OR/MS applications.